


Any Half-Decent Librarian Knows That Architecture Is a Fascinating Subject

by gaifieri



Category: Naruto
Genre: M/M, i feel like i need to qualify since most of my fics are.....not, librarian/avid reader AU, sfw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-09
Updated: 2015-02-09
Packaged: 2018-03-11 07:52:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3319784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaifieri/pseuds/gaifieri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yamato visits the library and is harassed by a disgusting and not hot librarian.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Any Half-Decent Librarian Knows That Architecture Is a Fascinating Subject

**Author's Note:**

> written for a fic prompt on tumblr. the prompt was simply "librarian/avid reader au".
> 
> dedicated to my co-dad, who sucks.

Past the young adult fiction, straight through the manga, take a left at historical non-fiction and there were the books on architecture. That was where Yamato spent most of his weekends, rifling through old magazine articles on “modern” designs from the 1920s, browsing outdated textbooks and mentally critiquing their passé techniques. He rarely took any books home with him since he already had a large “to read” collection, but he found a few interesting articles that day. He picked out his books and headed back through the library, making his way towards the front desk.

Several tables stood across from the desk, where one could read a book they’d picked out or set up their laptop. The tables were mostly empty, but one man sat in the center of the table closest to the desk. The same white-haired man who had been sitting there the weekend before, and the weekend before that. The same man who sat there weekend after weekend reading  _smut_ , in  _public_ , where  _anyone_  could see him.

Yamato was torn between feeling disgusted and slightly impressed that he had the guts to do so. Mostly, he felt embarrassed.

He reached the front desk and it was empty. Not a clerk in sight. No self check-out kiosk, either. A silver bell sat on the desk, but Yamato couldn’t bring himself to ring it. He didn’t want to be one of  _those_  people.

"Are you waiting for something?"

Yamato turned towards the voice to see the smut-reader staring up at him.

He repeated the question, and Yamato blinked.

"Oh — I’m fine, thank you."

The man (who was reading  _porn_  in  _public_ ) stared at him for a few moments longer until he shrugged, turning back to his book.

Yamato stared at the desk. He stared at the bell. He waited.

"Try ringing the bell."

Slowly, Yamato turned around. “Excuse me?”

The man reading the you-know-what repeated himself, again.

"I’m fine. I’ll just wait." Yamato turned back around and hoped that someone would come to assist him quickly.

"Are you sure?"

Yamato turned to face the man once again but as he looked up, he discovered the man had made his way to the desk and was standing inches away from him. Yamato did his best not to jump in shock.

"Thanks, but I’m fine," Yamato repeated,  _again._

"Here, I’ll ring it for you."

Yamato tried to say, “that really isn’t necessary,” but he was ignored. The man tapped the bell several times, looking around as if he was watching for a clerk. The ringing made Yamato cringe as it echoed through the empty library.

"Oh, that’s right," the man said after ringing the bell one last time, " _I_  am the librarian.” He smiled at Yamato, and Yamato grimaced back. He couldn’t have said something before…?

The librarian (if that really  _was_  his position; Yamato was still suspicious) went behind the desk, taking Yamato’s books and piling them beside the scanner.

"Architecture, hmm?" the “librarian” said, lifting one of the books and glancing down at it in disdain. "Kind of boring, isn’t it?"

Yamato’s usual response to someone calling architecture boring (of all things…) was to explain that architecture was, in fact, fascinating, and perhaps give them a few examples of some beautiful neoclassical architecture to persuade them — but this man got on his nerves. He didn’t deserve to understand the complexity and grace of architecture.

“It might not be as exciting as erotic literature,” Yamato said, “but I think it’s a bit more appropriate to read in public.”

The librarian’s lips twitched trying to hold back another smile. “Probably,” he said, “but that’s what makes it more exciting. Library card?”

Yamato fumbled through his wallet and handed the card to the librarian, who took it with a grin that disturbed him.

“Hmm.” The librarian had scanned Yamato’s card and was staring at his computer screen. “It looks like you have an overdue book.”

An overdue book? But Yamato was always so diligent about returning borrowed items…

“Are you sure?” he asked. “Maybe there’s some sort of mistake.”

The librarian shook his head and sucked his teeth. “Afraid not.  _The Timeless Way of Building_  by Christopher Alexander. Ring any bells?”

Yamato brought a hand to his brow, rubbing his index finger against the bridge of his nose. It  _did_  ring a bell. On an excursion to the architecture section with a colleague of his, said colleague had left his library card at home, so Yamato had offered to check the colleague's selection of books out under his name. The colleague had promised to return all of the books on time, but apparently he had forgotten one.

“ _Timeless Way of Building_ , hmm? Doesn’t sound very appealing…” The librarian said, glancing over Yamato’s account once more. He turned back to Yamato with a gleam in his eye that sparked all of Yamato’s nerves. “None of your recent selections  _sound_  enticing, but considering it’s you reading them…”

Yamato grew very wary (and a bit hot, but that was due to the temperature of the room, of course) as the librarian leaned forward, letting his arms rest across the desk. His eyes traveled up Yamato, stopping at his chest and he felt all of the blood pump double time as it tried to reach his face.

“You’re built like a tree trunk,” the librarian said, bringing his gaze up to meet Yamato’s.

He could feel his ears go numb as he stuttered out a reply. “Um — w-hat?”

The librarian folded his hands and brought them up to rest under his chin, all while giving Yamato a look like he was going to eat him alive. “How about we make a deal?” He offers. “Architecture — that’s sort of like building things, isn’t it? I could make this fine go away, if you like.” The librarian stretched his arm out as he stood straight. His hand brushed the collar of Yamato’s sweater for a moment before it fell back to his side. He closed his eyes and shrugged lazily, as if anything he’d said was as casual as asking to borrow your colleague’s library card. “All I ask in return is that you give me a private lesson. In architecture. Teach me how to build something as sturdy as yourself.”

Was he dying? Yamato thought he might be dying. Yamato thought this might be an hallucination. Maybe he’s in a coma and this is a dream. Was this perverted librarian really… _flirting_  with him?

(And was he not hating it?)

Yamato mentally shook himself back to reality. Ignoring the fever that was still rampant in his cheeks, he dug through his wallet once more. He coughed once to clear his throat (and to make sure he was still capable of using his mouth; the librarian’s proposition had made his mouth feel as fuzzy as his head.)

“Disregarding your lack of sincere interest in architecture, I am not currently offering lessons,” Yamato said, amazed at his own ability to speak coherently. He took a bill from his wallet and held it out to the librarian. “I would prefer to pay off my fine the traditional way. This should cover it.”

The librarian’s hand reached out to take the bill, and Yamato blurted out, “and I work out, so…thanks.”

Both their hands paused, and Yamato wondered once again if he sensed death beckoning him.

A smile crept across the librarian’s face as he took the bill. Yamato mumbled a “keep the change” and his smile widened when he replied, “how generous.”

Yamato did  _not_  notice how the librarian’s eyes crinkled when he smiled, or that they were by far the most expressive feature on his face. And he certainly did not think, that in this light, maybe now that he had been looking at him for a while, he might be a touch handsome.

Yamato definitely avoided looking at the librarian while he rang up the rest of the books.

He didn’t make eye contact when he took the books from the librarian, either. He stared at a spot on the librarian’s scarf as he thanked him, and then speed walked to the door. Once he was in the entryway, he paused to take a breath and realized his items weighed more than they did when he picked them out.

Because he had been given an extra book.

A copy of  _Makeout Paradise_  was stacked atop his architecture books.

He looked back through the glass paneling separating the entryway and the main building and saw the librarian at the front desk, smiling and waving at him. He was very tempted to throw the book into the small white trash bin that sat in the entryway. But he was an adult, and still diligent about returning borrowed items, so he decided to return the book. However…

He looked down at the book, suddenly feeling curious. The obnoxious, perverted, not handsome librarian must have given the book to Yamato because there was something inside he wanted him to see, right? Some bit of information that might be relevant to Yamato's interests?

Yamato opened the book to the first page, and in a nearly unintelligible handwriting, found a phone number, followed by, “call me if you change your mind xx kakashi”.

His face heated up, for the nth time, and he looked back through the window to find the librarian ( _Kakashi_ , he mentally corrected himself) looking back at him with a more sinister smile. He winked and Yamato looked away as fast as he could. In a fit of panic, Yamato threw the book into the trash and bolted out the door.

Once outside, he paused and turned back to glance at the trash bin — white and full of garbage, just like the head of a certain librarian he had recently met.

It wouldn’t hurt to have a contact at the local library, would it? And he really should return Kakashi’s book to him at some point — not right this moment, though, because…he was in a rush, he just decided. He was definitely late for something.

In another equally panicked action, Yamato ducked down beneath the glass paneling and darted back into the entryway. He fished out the abandoned book before racing back through the door.

Inside the library, Kakashi sat down in his spot at the table with a copy of  _Makeout Tactics_ , set his phone to vibrate, and waited. By the end of the day, he had a new contact in his phone.


End file.
